It actually takes approximately twice as much time to take the elevator when ascending or descending one floor. To test this, researchers at the University of South Carolina recorded the time required to ascend and descend one floor by taking the stairs and elevator over several days. A small group of participants were instructed to alternate between elevator and stair use and to take the stairs at a self-selected “normal” pace during the course of their daily routine.

The time required to take the elevator was significantly greater than the time required to use the stairs going both up and down one floor. The excess time required when taking the elevator was attributed to the wait, not the travel time, since the actual elevator ride was measured at approximately 10 seconds. The time required to ascend the stairs was greater than the time to descend the stairs, while there was no significant difference between taking the elevator up and elevator down one floor.

The study team hopes this information can be used as part of an intervention to increase stair use, where specific and relevant messages have been shown to be effective in encouraging physical activity.

“If climbing the stairs a few floors saves you time and adds to the physical activity you can accumulate throughout the day, it’s a win-win,” said researcher Joshua Westmeier-Shuh, lead author of the study. “Let’s look first at shifting the perception that the elevator is a better choice when rushing to work or thinking about how to incorporate activity into the day, and then think about the implications this can have for worksite wellness. Bottom line: stairs win.”